Steam boiler



Aug. 7, 1928.

E. S. ALEXANDER ET AL STEQM BOILER Filed Jan. 15. 192] 2 Sheets-Sheet l Len:

Aug. 7, 1928. 1,679,344

E. S. ALEXANDER ET AL STEAM BOILER Filed Jan- 15. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 NVENT R Patented Aug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES EARL s. ALEXANDER AND CARL z. ALEXANDER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, As-

PATENT OFFICE.

SIGNORS, BY MESHE ASSIGNMENTS, TO EDWIN C. SEVJARD, F JERSEY CITY, NEW

JERSEY.

STEAM BOILER.

Application filed January 15, 1921. Serial No. 437,415.

- This invention relates to an, improved steam boiler which is a quick-steaming boiler embodying a construction that spreads water over a comparatively large area with but a slight depth and thus utilizes to the fullest extent the heat imparted from the fuel.

The boiler is adapted for use with differout forms of fuel, as coal, gas or oil, and is provided with a means for projecting the water into a header or headers, the headers being constructed to prevent too rapid a flow of the water over the floors of the headers, the result being a substantially even body of water in the headers thatis boiled and thus converted into steam while it is flowing over the floors of the headers,

Another object of the invention is the proportioning of the parts so that a geyser tube, when used to direct the water into the headers, and the headers themselves are so proportioned as to prevent flooding ot' the headers, but still supplying enough water to prevent the headers from becoming dry. 1

Another feature of the invention is a casing which encloses the headers and the fire pot and has an outer casing spaced from the inner casing or main casing so as to act as a channel or duct for conducting air under neath the fire box, said channel having means for regulating the amount of air supplied.

The invention further consists in certain combinations, elements and construction of the parts more fully described hereinafter and finally embodied in the claims.

The invent-ion is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a section of one form of our improved type of boiler with one-half the headers and part of the casing and thegeyser tube shown in elevation. Figure 2 is a section of one of the headers taken on a plane represented by line 22 in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2, showing a modified form of header. Figure {L is a section of one-half of the header shown in Figure 8, such section being taken on the plane represented by line 4 in Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a detail perspective of part of the floor ot the header illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

It will be understood that various modi fications in the construction of the boiler culated to function to produce the results.

consequent to our invention.

In the form shown, the device is enclosed in a casing which has a base portion 11, the topot the base portion having suitable means for maintaining a source of heat, the form shown comprising burners 12, the illside of the base 11 forming a chamber 13 which, when coal is used, "forms an ash pit, and above the burners 12 is a fire pot 14:. An outer casing 15 surrounds and is spaced fromv the main casing. or inner casing 10, forming channels or ducts 16, down which air is adapted to be passed and delivered beneath the ire pot, and suitable doors or dampers 17 are placed so as to control the amount of air admitted to the lire pot, these dampers being either manually operated or connected by a suitable chain or cord 18 to, a damper regulator, which is not shown and which forms no part of this invention, these being common on steam boilers for regulating the positions of the dampers and doors of the boiler.

A reservoir is placed near the bottom of the boiler, and for convenience of arrange ment and economy of structure we prefer to make it continuous, being either circularor rectangular, according to the shape of the boiler, this reservoir 19 being preferably ar--- ranged on a ledge or shoulder 20 of the base portion and being arranged outside of the outer casing so that it does not become too hot to interfere materially with the circulation in the boiler.

A geyser tube 21, having); a base 22 from which it is fed, is arranged in the boiler,

preferably centrally thereof, and is fed by feed tubes 23, which, in the form shown, act as supports for the base 22, being ar *anged so that the feed tubes converge, thus not only connecting the reservoir and the base of the geyser tube, but acting as a tripod or truss for maintaining; the geyser tube in position. The geyser tube delivers water to a header or a series of headers, according to the size or capacity of the boiler, the form shown'coinprising; a series of headers, these headers being constructed somewhat similarly, but

being altered sufiiciently to provide for the proper connections for the attachment of fittings.

The upper header 24 consists of a cover 25, which is clamped to and spaced from a floor 26, the clamping means in the drawing consisting of the bolts 27. The cover is preferably provided with aplug 28, which is usually made with its lower surface designed to spread the water emerging from the geyser tube so as to distribute it more evenly over the floor of the header. The floor of the header is constructed so that it inclines slightly, the outer edge being lowest so that the water flows toward the outer edge, but to prevent a direct and too rapid a flow, the floor is provided on its upper surface with ribs so as to define channels through which the water flows.

In the form shown in Figures 1 and 2 the rib 29 forms a spiral on the top face of the floor 26 and the water is thus compelled to flow for a considerable distance over the surface of the floor before it leaves the header.

The second header 30 has a cover 31 and a floor 32, this header being narrower between the floor and the cover, since it is not necessary in this header to allow for the injection of the water from the geyser tube, since most of the water deposited on this header comes through the communicating pipe 33, which connects a low part of the top header 24: with the cover of the header 30, the pipe 33 being inclined so that the water flows down and is distributed onthe upper or central portion of the header 30, the floor 32 being provided with a rib 34 similar to the rib 29 of the header 24.

The bottom header 35 consists of a cover 36 and a floor 37, a communicating pipe 38 similar to the pipe 33 conducting water from a low point in the header 30 to a raised part of the floor 37, the floor 37 having a rib 39 similar to the ribs 29 and 34, and a return pipe 4-0 connects a low point of the floor 37 with the reservoir 19. The level of water in the boiler is kept somewhere below the bottom header 35 and above the base 22 of the geyser tube, preferably well up toward the bottom header, as indicated ,in Figure 1.

Tubes 41 and 42 form passages for steam from one header to the next higher one, and we find that if the geyser tube 21 has its top terminating near the top of the middle header 30, the water is forced upward sufficiently to deposit most of it on the floor of the top header, some of the water, however, falling onto the floor of the header 30, this arrangement preventing the flooding of any one header and also preventing any of the headers running dry.

The fastening means, such as the bolts 27, pass through flanges 43, which project from the edge of the floors and the covers of the headers, so that the main portion of each header is spaced from the casing to provide for the passage of heat up around the outside edges of the headers, and to insure the heat passing both along the floors of the headers and over the covers, suitable hallle plates H are installed so that the heat from the the pot thoroughly heats the inner ends of the feed tubes 23, the base of the geyser tube and the geyser tube, heats the iioor of the bottom header, is forced along the top surface 01 the cover of the lower header toward the center of the boiler, and so alternately along the floor and cover of each header until it arrives at the top of the casing, from which-it passes into a suitable smoke pipe 45.

A steam pipe is arranged to conduct steam from the boiler, in the form shown the steam pipe to emerging from the cover of the header 24: and being adapted to conduct the steam to wherever it is desired, in a house heating plant this, of course, being the radiators, which are not shown, and from which the condensed steam returns to the boiler in the usual way through the return pipe 17. A supplen'iental steam pipe 48 preferably installed, this pipe 18 pass ing from the cover of the lower header 35 to the steam pipe &0, thus serving to equalize pressure between the upper and lower h aiders, thus permitting a reduction in the size of the communicating pipe 42 and eliminating the possibility of the setting up of any current of steam sutlicient to interfere at all with the passage of water through the communicating pipes 33 and 38.

A modified form of header is shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, this type of header being adapted for use where the boiler is subjected to any tilting or rocking motion, as in aeroplanes or automobiles, the floor plate having a modified form of top surface, this consisting of concentric ribs 48,) spaced apart and having depressions or outlet openings 50, which openings or outlets do not extend to the bottom of the rib but form a small dam 51, opposite each of which is preferably arranged a cross rib 52, these cross ribs being approximately as high as the ribs all) at their inner edges and extending only to the top of the dam 51 in each case at their lower edges, so that the water emerging from the geyser tube and being deposited on the central upper part of the floor of the header follows a circuitous route, being divided repeatedly on its way to the lower outer edge of the floor of the header. The cross ribs 52 and the rib 49 form a series of pockets, so that if the boiler is slightly tilted or is in a situation where it rolls, the pockets are not emptied and one side of the header will not become dry, as would be the case were the header designed as for the stationary boiler shown in Figures 1 and 2 used.

Ill]

The inclination of the floors of the head; ers can be varied according to the design of the boiler, but we prefer to give them but a slight incline so that the flow of water thereon is not too rapid, and the direction of incline can be varied to suit different designs of boilers.

Ve claim:

1. A steam boiler comprising a series of superimposed headers located above the normal water level of the boiler and adapted to be heated by the flue gases from the boiler furnace, each of said headers having a slightly coned up ribbed lower evaporating surface and having aligned axial connector tubes extending between the steam spaces of the adjacent headers and having water drip connections between said head ers, and a geyser tube adapted to automatically feed water to said headers during the operation of the boiler and extending axially through the lower header, the upper discharge end of said geyser tube being located in line with but below the connector tube of the upper header to automatically supply water to the upper header under forced firing conditions and to supply a larger proportion of the water directly to a lower header under moderate firing of the boiler.

2. A steam boiler comprising a series of superimposed headers located above the normal water level of the boiler and adapted to be heated by the flue gases from the boiler furnace, each of said headers having a slightly inclined lower evaporating surface and having aligned connector tubes extending between the steam spaces of the adjacent headers and having drip connections between said headers, and a geyser tube adapted to automatically feed water to said headers during the operation of the boiler, the upper discharge end of said geyser tube being located in linewith but below the connector tube of the upper header to automatically supply water to the upper header under forced firing conditions and to supply a larger proportion of the water directly to a lower header under moderate firing of the boiler.

3. A steam boiler comprising a series of superimposed headers located above the normal water level of the boiler and adapted to be heated by the flue gases from the boiler furnace, said headers having aligned connector tubes extending between the steam spaces of the adjacent headers'and having water drip connections between said headers and a geyser tube adapted to automatically feed water to said headers during the operation of the boiler, the upper dis charge end of said geyser tube being located in line with the connector tube of the upper header to automatically supply water to the upper header under forced firing conditions and to supply a larger proportion of the water directly to a lower header under moderate firing of the boiler;

4:. A steani'boiler comprising a series of connected superimposed headers located above the normal water level of the boiler and having tortuous inclined water heating channels adapted to be heated to vaporize water therein and a geyser tube device adapted to automatically feed water to the upper header under forced firing conditions and to supply a larger proportion. of the water directly to a lower header under moderate firing of the. boiler.

5 A steam boiler comprising a reservoir having acentral open space at the base of the boiler-,a geyser tube extending above the water level in said reservoir, heating means in the central open space of said reservoir, a header over said heating means into which the geyser tube delivers Water, means for conducting water from the reservoir to the geyser tube and heating it more than the water in the reservoir, and means for conducting water back into the reservoir from said header.

6. A steam boiler comprising a series of headers located at different heights above the normal water level of the boiler and adapted to be heated to vaporize water therein and a geyser tube device adapted to automatically feed water to the upper header under forced firing conditions and to supply a larger proportion of the water directly to a lower header under moderate firing of the boiler.

7. A steam boiler comprising a series of superimposed connected headers located above the normal water level of the boiler and adapted to be heated by the flue gases.

from the boiler furnace, each of saidheaders having a slightly inclined tortuous channelled lower evaporating surface comprising a series of low substantially circumferen tial ribs and adapted to retain a film of water and discharge excess water and having aligned connector tubes extending between the steam spaces of the adjacent headers and having drip connections between said headers, and a geyser tube adapted to automatically feed water to said headers during the operation of the boiler.

8. A steam boiler comprising a series of superimposed connected headers located above the normal water level of the boiler and adapted to be heated, each of said headers having a slightly inclined tortuous channelled lower evaporating surface comprising a series of low substantially circumferential ribs and adapted to retain a film of water and discharge excess water, and a geyser tube adapted to automatically feed Water to said'headers during the operation of the boiler.

9. A steam boiler comprising a series of ill) superimposed headers located above the normal water level of the boiler and adapted to be heated by the flue gases from the boiler furnace, each of said headers having slightly inclined shalloiv tortuous water channels adapted to retain a film of Water during its evaporation and discharge excess water and having aligned steam connector tubes and drip connections between said headers, and means adapted to automatically feed water to said headers during the ope ation of the boiler.

10. A steam boiler comprising a series of connected headers located above the normal water level of the boiler and adapted to be heated by the flue gases from the boiler furnace, each of said headers having slightly inclined shallow elongated water channels adapted to retain a film of Water during its evaporation and discharge excess Water, and means adapted to automatically teed vvater to said headers during the operation of the boiler.

11. In a steam generator, a geyser tube, means to heat said geyser tube to expel water therefrom, a steam chamber, a slightly inclined elongated steam generating surface in said steam chamber on to which water from said geyser tube is distributed, means to heat said generating surface, an unheated water supply tank, a passage for Water from said steam chamber to said water supply tank, and an independent passage for Water from said water supply tank to the lower portion of said geyser tube.

12. In a steam generator, a heating chamber. a geyser tube in saidwheating chamber having a. relatively large surface exposed to the heat and containing a relatively small volume of water, a Water supply tank situ ated outside of said heating chamber, a connection from said water supply tank to said geyser tube, a steam chamber in the upper part of said heating chamber, a steam gencrating surface in said steam chamber situated higher than the water in said water supply tank and on to which water is conveyed from the upper end of said geyser tube by the boiling of the small amount of water in said tube, and a gravity drain for excess water from said steam chamber directly into said water supply tank.

13. In a steam generator, :1 thermic fountain comprising two water containing members, the one containing a relatively large amount of water Without direct application of heat, the other containing a relatively small amount of Water and having a relatively large surface exposed to heat, and the said two containers being directly connected below the water level, a furnace containing the heated member of said thermic fountain, a steam chamber into which said thermic fountain discharges situated in the upper part of said furnace and heated thereby, a

secondary steam chamber connected to the first steam chamber by a water connection and a steam connection to receive excess water from and to deliver steam into said first steam chamber, a gravity drain for water tromthe second steam chamber into the upper part of the unheated \vater contamer, and a pressure equalizing connection between the first steam chan'iber and the unheated "ater container.

let. In a steam generator, a heating chamber, a geyser tube in said heating chamber having a, relatively large surface exposed to the heat and containing a relatively small volume of Water, a water supply tank situatcd outside of said heating chamber, a connection from said water supply tank to said geyser tube, a steam chamber in the upper part of said heating chan'iher, a steam generating surface in said strain chamber situated higher than the. water in said water supply tank and on to which water is eierted lrom the upper end of said geyser tube by the boiling of the small amount of water in said tube, and a pressure equalizing eonnection between said steam chamber and the upper portion of said water supply tank.

15. In av steam generator, a furnace comprising a combustion chamber and passages for hot gas, a heat insulating casing surrounding said furnace, a vaporizing chamber in said furnace and heated thereby. a vaporizing plate in said vaporizing chamber so inclined so as to shed \vatc' and so suri'aced as to retain a film of water. a. water supply tank outside of the walls of said turnace, a geyser tube lying in said furnace to supply water to said vaporizing plate with its toot extended into said water supply tank, and a drain to conduct excess \vzler from said vaporizing plate into said water supply tank.

16. In a steam generator, a heating chamber, a. heat insulating casing surrounding said heating chamber, a water supply outside of said casin a geyser tube in said heating chamber a steam chamber in said heating chamber to receive Water from said geyser tube, an open connection from said steam chamber entering said water supply, and an independent connection from the lower partof said geyser tube entering said water supply below water level.

17. In a steam generator, a furnace including a heat retaining sheathing, a water supply tank outside of said furnace, a. steam chamber in said furnace, at vaporizing surface in said steam chamber. a thermic 't'ouutain fed directly from said water supply tank and leading to said vaporizing surface, and a pressure equalizing connection between the atmosphere of said steam chainher and said Water supply tank.

18. In a steam generator, a furnace ineluding a heat retaining sheathing, a water his supply tank outside of said furnace,'a steam chamber in said furnace, a vaporizing surface in said steam chamber, a thermic fountain fed directly from said water supply tank and leading to said vaporizing surface, and an equalizing connection between said steam chamber and said water supply tank.

19. In a steam generator, a heating chamber, a water supply tank, a geyser tube within said heating chamber and withoutsaid "ater supply tank with its intake end in said water supply tank below the water level, a vaporizing chamber in said heating chamber in which terminates the outlet end of said geyser tube, a furnace for heating said heating chamber and thereoy said geyser tube and said vaporizing chamber, and a gravity drain from said vaporizing chamber entering said water supply tank.

20. In a steam generator, a furnace, a thermic fountain comprising a water tank, a pipe lying outside of said tank connected at one end to said tank, exposed to the heat of said furnace and having its di.:charge end higher than the water level of said tank; a steam chamber into which said thermie fountain discharges, comprising surfaces adapted to retain small quantities and to shed excess quantities of Water, and comprising a passage for the hot gases from said furnace, and a connection from said chamber into said tank.

. 21. In a steam generator, :1 source of heat, a structure containing steam above a supply of feed water and so disposed to said source of heat as normally to maintain a temperature below boiling in the feed water, a water boiling tube exterior to but connected to the feed water supply in said structure and so situated as normally to maintain a boiling temperature in its own water content, a vaporizing chamber to receive water boiling over from said water boiling tube, and a passage draining water away from said vaporizing chamber into the feed water supply in said structure.

22. In a steam generator, a source of heat, a structure containing steam above a supply of feed water and so disposed to said source of heat as normally to maintain a temperature below boiling in the feed water, a water boiling tube exterior to but connected to the feed water supply in said structure and so situated as normally to maintain a boiling temperature in its own water content, a vaporizing chamber to receive water boiling over from said water boiling tube, and a pressure equalizing connection between the steam in said vaporizing chamber and the steam in said structure. I

23. In a steam generator, a source of heat,

a structure containing steam above a supply of feed Water and so disposed to said source of heat as normally to maintain a temperature below boiling in the feed water, a water boiling tube exterior .to but connected'to the feed water supply in said s ructure and so situated as normally to maintain a boiling temperature in its own water content, a vaporizing chamber to receive water boiling over from said water boiling tube, and a pressure equalizing connection from said vaporizing chamber into said structure.

A steam boiler comprising a reservoir having a central open space at the base of the boiler and having at its inner side a feed duct for heating water more than in the body of the reservoir, a geyser tube connected to said feed duct, heating means in the said central open space of the reservoir, a header over the water level into which said geyser tube discharges, and means for conducting Water back into the reservoir from said header.

A steam boiler comprising a reservoir having a central open space at the base of the boiler, heating means in the said central open space, a header over said heating means above the water level and having an evaporating surface with a circumferential rib to retain a sheet of water on said evaporating surface, a geyser tube for automatically delivering water from said reservoir to said evaporating surface of the header, and means for conducting excess water back into the reservoir from said evaporating surface of the header.

26. A steam boiler comprising a re ervoir having a central open space at the base of the boiler, heating means in said central open space, a header over said heating means and above the water level, a geyser tube for automatically delivering water from said reservoir to said header under the action of said heating means, and an independent ccnnection between said header and reservoir for equalizing the pressure.

27. A steam boiler comprising a reservoir having a central open space at the base of the boiler, heating means in said central open space, upper and lower headers over said heating means and above the water level, a geyser tube for automatically delivering water from said reservoir to said headers, and a pr ssure equalizing connection outside the boiler between said upper and lower headers. 3 1

In testimony that we claim the foregoing, we have hereto set our hands, this 13 day of January, 1921.

EARL S. ALEXANDER. CARL Z. ALEXANDER.

said heating means and above 

